Some parents upset Pasco schools open on Good Friday

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - Some Pasco County parents are upset that school will be in session on Good Friday.

A few were so disturbed, they wrote to Superintendent Kurt Browning to express their outrage. One wrote:

"How dare you undermine the Christian religion and the observance of the strictest of Christian holy days?"

She's among more than a dozen who complained.

"We can schedule our spring break around Easter and good Friday but its later this year and we needed to have spring break before testing started," said district spokesperson Linda Cobbe.

This is the first time in several years Pasco has had class on Good Friday Pinellas and Hillsborough don't. District officials say this is not a case of targeting a religion, rather treating them all equally.

"We can't base our calendar on religion it has to be secular," Cobbe said. "To take a day off purely because it's a religious holiday is not accepted," she said.

The district says students staying away from the classroom on Friday for religious purposes will be given excused absences. Officials aren't sure how many that'll be. Other parents say they're OK with the schedule.

"I'm fine with it. It actually helps me because I'll be at work," said Holly Neider.

Hillsborough County used to have school on the Christian holiday, but stopped after it seeing so many absences pile up. It is now a non-student day.